The Kiss Goodnight: Disney World’s Best Thing Few Guests See
Too few Walt Disney World fans know about the Kiss Goodnight at Magic Kingdom. If you just thought, “what’s that?” you’re not alone. The Kiss Goodnight is a little over 2-minutes long, and it is WDW’s way of saying “goodbye” (or “go home!” depending upon your perspective) to guests at the end of a long day in the park.
The Kiss Goodnight usually plays every 30 minutes after Magic Kingdom closes, and starts with Cinderella Castle “twinkling” as the music from When You Wish Upon a Star slowly builds.. This means that you could see it more than once in a single night–we once saw it four times in the same night…its magic wears off a bit after the second time, ha!
Since originally writing this post a few years ago, we’ve seen the Kiss Goodnight many, many times. (Even writing a follow-up further expressing our appreciation of it.) A few people have asked questions about the Kiss Goodnight that we figured we’d answer up front here, though…
The Kiss Goodnight still runs at Magic Kingdom as of Spring 2020. There are nights when it is (inexplicably) not shown, or runs on a different, more frequent schedule. There is no rhyme or reason to this, and we cannot explain why that occurs. Those nights are few and far between in our experience (<5% of the time), so if you miss it one night, try to catch it another.
It’s really only visible and audible from Main Street, so watching from another land is not possible. Finally, there is no Kiss Goodnight at any other castle park in the world. (Sorry, Disneyland fans.) The next closest thing is the seldom-seen burn off for IllumiNations. Those are really the major things to know, so let’s turn to why this little “moment” is so magical.
A narrator then greets the last of the guests in the Magic Kingdom, saying:
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun, and fantasy. We hope your magical journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
Walt Disney said that the Magic Kingdom is a world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, magic and make believe are reborn, and fairy tales come true. The Magic Kingdom is a place for the young and the young at heart. A special place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true.
Until we see you again, have a safe trip home. Thank you, and goodnight.”
Here’s a video I shot of The Kiss Goodnight:
Please excuse the poor quality, as that video was shot a decade ago (probably on an original iPhone–I don’t even remember), long before we ever started this blog. It was my very first upload to YouTube, and the only reason I posted it because there were no other videos of the Kiss Goodnight at the time. Despite happening nightly, it was relatively unknown online.
I wanted to write about the Kiss Goodnight, but it’s something that photos definitely don’t do justice. Most shots simply look like Cinderella Castle at night, albeit with minor color differences…and maybe some twinkling.
Throughout this post, there’s over 11 years of Kiss Goodnight photos, from 2008 until today! From a photography perspective, the Kiss Goodnight may not look different than normal lighting used on Cinderella Castle, but it is. Beyond the twinkling, there are a few color schemes not normally used throughout the night.
My favorite of these is at the very end, when Cinderella Castle is quickly bathed in mostly-white lighting, with extra intensity on the top spire (see above). I actually use photos of this ‘moment’ on the blog quite regularly, as I love the way this photographs and looks.
One of my first Kiss Goodnight photos is from August 18, 2008–a shot I shared in my “Top 30 Must-Sees” countdown on Flickr prior to our then-annual Walt Disney World trip.
On that list, I ranked the Kiss Goodnight as the #2 experience we were looking forward to (#1 was spending time with one another…so the Kiss Goodnight was basically the #1 Disney attraction) on that trip. That ranking and those words still ring true today.
To this day, the Kiss Goodnight is something we look forward to, always make an effort to see, and our day at Magic Kingdom isn’t quite complete without the Kiss Goodnight.
It’s safe to say that for something that lasts only about two minutes to be one of the most anticipated and memorable experiences at Walt Disney World, it must be pretty special.
It goes without saying that for that thing to be the second most anticipated experience at Walt Disney World, especially given the myriad of amazing sights, sounds, tastes, etc., it must be out-of-this-world, jaw-droppingly [insert string of adjectives here] amazing.
Such is the Kiss Goodnight, the proverbial icing on the Cake (Castle!) for us. After a long day in the parks, we can’t help but just stop and watch the Kiss Goodnight, completely frozen and unable to move. For us, the combination of the beautiful light display and hearing about the meaning Walt Disney wanted the parks to have for guests does it every time.
We both still get choked up by the Kiss Goodnight…to this day…even after seeing it more times than I can count.
Being in an almost-deserted park as the ‘young at heart’ during Walt’s favorite time of day, we can’t help but think of his influence, and how special it is to walk alone in the last park he envisioned and take it all in.
The Kiss Goodnight demonstrates what makes the place inherently special and transcendent of the concept of a “theme park.” Simply put, the Kiss Goodnight concisely states and embodies the ‘Magic of Disney.’
Even though it’s almost impossible to explain, this pretty much sums up why we feel the Kiss Goodnight is so special, and why it gives me goosebumps every time I see it. It’s not an amazing, state-of-the-art attraction.
It’s one of those little things that elicits an emotional response from us, and is therefore one of the most important experiences we can have at Walt Disney World. Besides the TTA, it’s likely the “attraction” we experience most on each trip we take to Walt Disney World.
Even though the Kiss Goodnight is the absolute best time to take photos of Cinderella Castle, most of the time I just find myself standing there gazing at the Castle in awe, paralyzed by the beauty of the moment. Not everyone will feel the same way.
If they were to see it, I suspect most visitors to Walt Disney World would probably shrug it off, thinking it of very little significance in the grand scheme of their vacation.
However, I’m convinced that most people who “get” the Walt Disney World theme parks would get goosebumps if they were to stand in a mostly-empty Magic Kingdom and watch and listen to this on a tranquil Main Street USA.
It’s special not just because you’re in the park at such a peaceful time, essentially by yourself with Cinderella Castle, but also because of the significance of the words in Roy O. Disney’s Walt Disney World opening day dedication speech.
The Kiss Goodnight embodies and reminds us exactly why it’s so great and special to get to experience Walt Disney World–and why so many of us are lifelong fans. If you haven’t stayed to experience the Kiss Goodnight before, you should definitely make an effort to do it at least once. It absolutely belongs on everyone’s WDW Bucket List.
Beyond that, being a Disney fan who has seen the Kiss Goodnight makes you part of an exclusive club (we ought to have a secret handshake!). Not many people can muster the stamina it takes to be in the park that late, so those who answer “yes!” when asked if they’ve seen the Kiss Goodnight are among the most passionate of the passionate Disney fans…or perhaps we’re all just the craziest? Either way, there’s something to be said for making the effort to be in the Magic Kingdom during that peaceful and special time of night, and having the Kiss Goodnight put the cherry on top of a day of wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
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Your Thoughts
Are you part of the club? What do you think of the Kiss Goodnight? If you haven’t seen it, does this post make you want to stay up late for it? Do you agree or disagree with our take here? Think the Kiss Goodnight is overrated? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’ve been going to WDW since 1973. I finally saw the Goodnight Kiss last November after EMH. Wow… Who knew… From now on, I’ll wait for it before I leave.
I’m really looking forward to seeing this on our next trip to Disney!
Is there still Disney Transport to the resorts after the first Kiss Goodnight tho? If you’re staying in one of the resorts, that is.
Is this just at Magic Kingdom or Disneyland as well? We are headed to DL this summer for the first time so it will be 2015 at the earliest until we get back to WDW? We do know about the flag ceremony at DL that we plan to do.
Where exactly is the best place to see the kiss goodnight?
Directly in front of Cinderella Castle.
We get choked up every time, too. We’re just home from our most recent visit and my daughter and I had hopped into the park for the last hour this past Monday (1/6) when closing was an early 10:00 and to try and stay as late as possible and still be able to catch the monorail back to the Poly. The Kiss Goodnight came on right at 10:30 and I was amazed at how few people were still in the parks at that early hour. I recorded it on my phone, just so I can play it back over and over and get teary eyed every time. It only works if you’ve actually been there in person, first, though. 🙂
I saw this for the first time on my daughter’s fourth birthday. I didn’t know what I was seeing at the time, just standing there in awe with a small group of onlookers, mouth hanging open and staring at the castle. It was beautiful and I cannot wait to see it again.
Yes. I have seen it. I like to spend every last minute their.
I saw/heard it twice on our visit a couple of weeks ago and was trying to act like I wasn’t crying about some voice playing over the speaker, but I totally was. It was my 4-year-old’s first visit and all week he kept saying, “Momma, we are at Disney World.” He was in disbelief that he was really there, and I’ve dreamed of taking him as I love it myself. So when the narrator talked about family and memories, he had me. I wish I could hug Walt! Next to Jesus, I admire what he accomplished more than anyone whose walked the earth. Glad to know the name of this now; I love it even more!
I had the privilege of seeing this on my last trip. I just happened to be talking to another young lady whole taking to opportunity to enjoy a nearly empty park. Turns out she was a former intern and when it started she explained to me what it was. Such a cool experience for sure
Tom,
I didn’t know about The Kiss Goodnight until a few months ago when I read about it on this site. We had out Disney trip 2 weeks ago and stayed late to witness it and it was the best way to end the day. I had tears running down my cheeks as I witnessed it.
Do you know when The Kiss Goodnight began? Has it been around for decades or is it fairly recent?
Well, I just watched your video, and it brought tears to my eyes. We have made ~12-15 trips to DisneyWorld over the yrs. But this time we are taking my Grandson (4.5 yrs) for the first time. I also honeymooned at WDW the yr it opened and have also been to DisneyLand.
I will definitely make sure we stay for this at least one night during our trip in Feb.
Mahalo for sharing,
I have to say I have been to Disney many times as a child and as a teen and it wasn’t until this past family trip at 26 years old that I finally got to experience the Kiss and I have to admit that not only did I get all chocked up then, but just reading the words now brought back that same tightness in my throat and tickle in my eyes. There is something about the magic of Disney that hits right to your heart no matter what your age! I hope everyone gets the chance to experience that first hand!
We are going in 14.5 days–yes, I’m counting–and this is the #1 thing on my must-do list. I’ve been too many times not to have seen this by now, so I must cross it off my WDW Bucket List. I’m just worried that if DH and I just wait around for this to happen, we’ll get shuffled out by a CM. Am I worrying for nothing or is there a good place to be inconspicuous while we wait?
You won’t have an issue. A lot of people linger.
I have been to Disney 38 times and will be celebrating our 39th trip this Christmas and I am taking my adopted daughter there for her first visit (she is 7), and I can’t wait to share with her something that has always given me goosies!
Saw it for the first time on our last trip! So amazing! My husband I have been to Disney many times and never knew this was there! It gave me goosebumps! It will be a must do on all future trips from now on!
Hi Tom, Thanks for sharing. I have been many times and heard the words but never knew it was a kiss goodnight! I will have to pay more attention next visit.
I asked a cast member who was at the Castle entrance about the Kiss Goodnighy and he hadno idea what I was talking about. He said he had never heard of it. So disappointed!! Bext time we go yo the park, we are going to wait to enjoy this experience. Can’t wait!!!
Unfortunately, Cast Members sometimes aren’t the best source of information. Usually, if I ask a question and the Cast Member even LOOKS like they might not know the answer (and instead is just making something up), I’ll ask someone else or consult the internet.
I ask a cast member about the Kiss when I was there too and they had no idea but another cast member overheard us talking and said that during the off season they don’t always do the “Goodnight show” as she called it but to stick around just in case. if they have not done it by 45 mins after the OFFICIALLY listed closing time for that exact day including the extended hours, they wont be doing it that night.
Is there a welcome to Disney? I have never been there at the opening.
Yes, there is a Welcome Show at the Main Street, USA Train Station about 10 minutes before the Magic Kingdom officially opens. Other parks have their own welcomes, but the one at the Magic Kingdom is really the only one that is worthwhile.
Tom, just came across this article looking for a similar experience my family and I had back in 2003. My wife and I took our 3 kids (5, 10 and 11 at the time) for their first Disney trip. We were on the last night of our vacation, lingering around the hub, just enjoying the evening and how great of a time we’d had, when we unknowingly got to hear the goodnight kiss. All 5 of us were just blown away and couldn’t have asked for a better ending to a wonderful trip. Except, it only got better…
I think we were actually the very last guests to leave the park and as we passed under the train station, we were met by about 2 dozen CM’s, most with their Mickey hands, and were sent off with a tear jerking rendition of the See you real soon portion of the Mickey Mouse song.
THAT made for the best memory I’ve ever had there.
Maybe there should be a secret handshake and dance for that one!
Thanks again for the great article. It is difficult to convey to those who see it the same way. I still get choked up.
I am going to two parties this year. The MNSSHP and the MVMCP. Do they do the kiss at the end of these nights as well?